National Highway Blockade Struggle in Hassan on January 8

Hassan: The allegedly derogatory remarks made by Union Home Minister Amit Shah about the architect of the Indian Constitution, B R Ambedkar, have not gone down well with many Dalit activists here in Hassan.

Senior Dalit leader in the district, H.K. Sandesh, and CPIM district secretary Dharmesh have alleged that these remarks highlight Amit Shah’s “Manuwadi” mentality and prove that he does not accept Ambedkar’s contributions to the Indian growth story.

“If Amit Shah continues as Home Minister of India, it will be against the personality and aspirations of Dr. Ambedkar. It will also affect the basic principles of the Constitution of India. The insulting remarks made by Amit Shah during a debate in the Rajya Sabha on the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the Indian Constitution were not just a coincidence. His real intention was to insult Ambedkar,” they claimed.

Sandesh also alleged that the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and the BJP have expressed deep resentment against the Indian Constitution from the beginning itself. The entire country knows how history panned out, he added.  

“In addition to spreading lies that Ambedkar never wrote the Constitution, and highlighting Ambedkar’s caste background, the RSS had openly stated that it would not accept the Indian Constitution in its current form.  Such derogatory remarks are part of the Hindutva agenda of the BJP. This is a grave insult to the architect of the Constitution,” they said.

In protest, a National Highway Blockade Struggle will be held in the district on January 8 by Dalit activists in the region.